German’s Sweet Chocolate Cake

Prepare your pans. 3 eight inch pans or smaller are perfect. Rub solid Crisco in a light coating all over the pans, then line with parchment. Slather a little more Crisco, then sprinkle a small handful of flour in the pans, and tilt them all around. Do this over the sink of course! Turn the pans upside down and tap the bottoms of the pans so that just a light dusting of flour remains.

Melt chocolate and water over gentle heat. Stir constantly and cool.

Mix flour, baking soda and salt and set aside. Lightly sift the flour if it is lumpy. At the very least, fluff it with a fork before measuring. You don't want it packed into the measuring cup.

DOES EVERYBODY HAVE A COOL KITCHENAID MIXER IN A COOL COLOR??? In stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add eggs, one at a time, and mix well after each addition.

Blend in melted chocolate and vanilla.

Add flour mixture alternating with buttermilk. You always begin and end with flour. Mix well, scraping bowl often.

Beat egg whites in absolutely clean glass bowl with a hand mixer. Beat to stiff peaks.

Fold egg whites into cake batter.

Pour evenly into pans. Bake for 30 minutes. Cool in pans, then turn on rack and allow to cool. If freezing, put layers on cardboard rounds and wrap tightly.

MAKE FROSTING: Mix milk, sugar, butter, egg YOLKS and vanilla in large saucepan. Cook on medium heat about 12 minutes until the color of Grace Kelley's hair, stirring constantly. Add coconut and pecans. Remove from heat and cool. Frost cakes when the frosting is no longer warm enough to melt the cake.